The Pack Leader
by The Black Flamingo101
Summary: What happens when Hiroki and Nowaki have to baby sit a puppy as a favor? Will the ball of fur be too much for the two egoists to handle or will they find themselves in love? COMPLETE!
1. Chapter 1

**The Pack Leader**

**Part I**

Kusama Nowaki let out a howling yawn as he stepped in the apartment and dropped his keys on a nearby countertop. The living room was empty, but mid morning light streamed in through the window, illuminating the home he shared with Hiroki. Still laden with several bags, Nowaki padded past the kitchen and immediately saw the note from Hiroki saying that he would be home that evening and there was takeout in the fridge.

A small smile spread over the tall man's face and he set the paper back on the counter and headed over to the couch, where he carefully set down his bags, along with a box-like plastic container with wiring. As he set the box down, Nowaki heard a light scuffle inside and he smiled wider, kneeling down and quietly opening the side.

The door had not been open for one second before a bundle of black and white fur raced and launched itself straight into Nowaki's lap. After several excited wet kisses, the fur ball jumped off him and raced down the hall, yipping and barking with all enthusiasm.

"Momo-chan!" Nowaki called, still grinning as the puppy barked and pattered back to him, covering his outstretched hands with frantic licks. Momo yipped excitedly again and pressed his snout close to the wooden floors, his tail waging as a new menagerie of smells flooded into his sensitive nose. Nowaki had begun to unpack the little dog's bowls and toys when he noticed Momo sniffing dangerously close to Hiroki's neatly stacked piles of research.

"No, no, no!" Nowaki trilled, quickly heading over and picking up the pup. "We don't want Hiro-san mad at you Momo-chan."

Momo wagged his tail and licked the underside of Nowaki's chin, his pink tongue lolling out of his mouth as he panted. Keeping the puppy in his arms, Nowaki walked back over to the bags he'd left on the couch and dug out a handwritten note written by Narumi Ayame, a nurse he knew at the hospital. The message contained all the items Ayame had packed for Momo as well as detailed do's and don'ts. Nowaki sat down and scanned the words, his other hand rubbing the puppy's soft head.

About a week ago, Ayame had approached her acquaintance the doctor and asked if he would be willing to baby-sit her puppy while she was out of town with friends. She had mainly asked because she'd shown Nowaki pictures previously and seen how much the man adored animals, especially baby ones. She also new how much care the man gave to all his little patients at the pediatric ward, and she was certain he was the right man for the job.

But Nowaki wasn't exactly the initial problem in the situation. It had been easy to get him on board.

Hiroki was a different story.

Nowaki slightly grimaced as he recalled his boyfriend's original proclamation when he had voiced the idea.

"NO. FUCKING. WAY. SHITHEAD!"

But never one to give up, Nowaki had pleaded and entreated with his partner, and after much persuading (and several blowjobs), Hiroki had agreed.

Under several conditions. First, it would only be for three days. Second, the "thing" would be kept in its playpen or under Nowaki's supervision for the duration of those three days. Third, Hiroki did not want to see, hear, touch, or smell it. Fourth, it was not to be on the bed or furniture. And fifth, if it so much as looked wrong as Hiroki's books or papers, it would suffer a most horrible and painful death.

Even now, Nowaki knew that Momo shouldn't be running free around the apartment, as it heightened the risks that Hiroki would flip a bitch switch. But Nowaki's gentle heart couldn't help but be overcome with squeelight at the sight of the sweet little creature.

Nowaki lifted the puppy up with both his hands and laughed as Momo's lightning wags made his entire body wiggle. The dog was only four months old, and had plenty of energy to show for it. From what Ayame had said, Momo was a mutt who'd been in a litter of abandoned puppies found on the street. However, thanks to the proactive efforts of a nearby shelter, not one of the pups had gone unadopted (and it certainly helped matters that they were freaking adorable). The puppy was probably a spaniel type, as he had a mostly black face with a white stripe going down the center. His black-patched fur was short with a few curly tufts around his feet and ears, and his white tipped black tail hadn't stopped wagging from the second he'd met the gentle doctor.

Nowaki too had been thrilled when he'd seen the puppy. Momo was so soft and happy and just plain freaking adorable that Nowaki was hard pressed not to grin at the sight of him. Momo's nose had the sweet smooshed puppy look to it, and the black eyes were bright with energy.

Setting the note and puppy stuff aside, Nowaki got up and kneeled down on the floor, watching Momo patter around and smell the floors. Nowaki reached into one of the bags and pulled out a tennis ball, tossing it between his hands. Momo immediately caught sight of the ball and his tail wagged harder as his front legs crouched down. He let out a light growl, causing Nowaki to smile.

"You wanna play Momo-chan? Go fetch!" Nowaki said, throwing the ball (carefully) down the hallway. Momo's nails skittered on the floor as he raced after it, nearly tripping over his long ears. The puppy snatched the ball and began to chew on it, making light growling sounds as he tore into his captured prey.

"Momo!" Nowaki called, patting his knees. "Bring it back boy!"

But the puppy continued to chew, completely ignoring the doctor's calls.

Nowaki sighed with a smile, laughing under his breath as he shifted off his knees.

Oh well. They had three days to get it right.

* * *

><p>A light but disgruntled growl sounded from the hallway as Kamijou Hiroki trudged down the corridor to his apartment. The literature professor ran a rough hair through his auburn locks, growling again as his headache gave a subtle throb to his cranial nerves.<p>

This week had been hell to say the least. Both he and Miyagi were swamped with department meetings and on top of that annual teaching assessments. The fact that Hiroki had finally torn himself from his office did not mean he intended on resting. He just wanted to at least be in the comfort of his own living room while he continued to do paperwork and grade essays.

But he could at least count on Nowaki having dinner ready and a nice hot bath.

Hiroki sighed, sliding his key into the lock. Maybe he could relax a bit after all…

"RUFF RUFF!"

Hiroki's cranial nerves exploded as he stepped into the apartment and was greeted by…

A small animal racing towards him and howling like a deranged maniac.

"Nowaki!" Hiroki yelled as the creature launched itself straight into his lower legs. Hiroki untangled himself and stumbled back, his eyebrow wrinkles a full two inches longer.

"Oh gosh, Momo! Come here boy!" Nowaki called, stepping out of the kitchen and holding his arms out. The puppy immediately abandoned Hiroki and bounded back to the doctor, grabbing a loose fold of Nowaki's jeans with his teeth and tugging.

Hiroki was still bracing himself against the front door, his eyes wide and his brow twitching with unfathomable angst.

"Nowaki…what…is THAT?" He stammered.

Nowaki laughed, picking up the dog.

"This is Momo-chan. Remember Hiro-san? We said we'd baby sit him for a nurse I know at the hospital?"

Hiroki's face didn't change.

"Was that… today?" (Though his original question was more like "Was I fucking drunk or high or stupid when you informed me of this?")

Nowaki nodded, smiling sheepishly. Momo and Hiro-san's first meeting was not going very well, but he wasn't surprised. Hey, it could be worse.

"Yep. But he'll only be with us three days." Nowaki enlightened. He gently took one of the puppy's front paws and moved it up and down like he was shaking hands.

"Look Hiro-san, isn't he cute?"

Momo barked happily in response, then took to gnawing on Nowaki's thumb with his teeth.

Hiroki watched the display with angrily twitching eyebrows, and he immediately knew that tonight was going to be anything BUT relaxing.

* * *

><p>Heya peeps :) and welcome to yet another egoist sitcomy oneshot. I had intended to release this all at once but it's turning out a little longer than I planned.<p>

(Plus I get more reviews if I release it this way XD)

Anyways, hope you all enjoy the puppy fluff :) part II will be up soon! Drop me a line my awesome readers!

**TBF101**


	2. Chapter 2

Sorry this update has taken awhile, but thank you all for your reviews! :D

Kisses!

TBF101

* * *

><p><strong>The Pack Leader<strong>

**Part II**

"C'mere Momo! Oh good boy Momo-chan! Who's a good boy?"

Hiroki grimaced at the sound of yipping barks that accompanied Nowaki's moronic puppy talk. The professor grabbed his nearby mug and took a swig of hot tea (though he could really have used a beer) before going back to a student's essay, his red pen of death scribbling more franticly than usual.

Nowaki was kneeling on the floor, laughing as he rubbed the squirming dog's belly. Hiroki sighed, not really understanding the appeal.

"Momo," Nowaki said, reaching into a small bag of treats. "Can you sit?"

Seeing the treat, the puppy complied for a brief second before bounding back to Nowaki and licking the man's outstretched hand.

"Good boy! Now stay. STAY." Nowaki said, standing up and backing away from the dog. But Momo wasn't one to wait.

"No no Momo!" Nowaki said in disappointment as the dog leapt forward against his command. But the puppy licked the top of his bare foot and Nowaki felt his heart turn to mush. He smiled, picking the dog up and nuzzling him.

"That's okay Momo-chan." He said. "You're a smart dog and you'll learn more tricks eventually."

Hiroki raised a skeptical eyebrow.

"What makes you think that thing can understand you anyway?" He mumbled, still focused on his paper.

Nowaki smiled.

"Dogs are very smart Hiro-san." He replied. "And they are very eager to please their masters."

Hiroki doubted it. If that dog was so eager to please why didn't he go check himself into a hotel for three days…

Nowaki sat back down on the floor, ruffling the puppy's long ears.

"Ayame-san has been training Momo ever since she got him. Apparently 96 percent of behavioral problems in dogs are due to the owners not getting them adequate training. So Ayame-san has decided to get a head start on turning Momo into a good dog!"

Nowaki pressed his nose into the puppy's fur and laughed as Momo barked and licked his face enthusiastically.

"And Momo is a good dog already." Nowaki cooed. "Aren't cha' boy?"

"RUFF!"

Hiroki sighed again, pushing back some of his unruly auburn hair as he got up and walked out of the living room.

"Where are you going Hiro-san?" Nowaki called.

"Aspirin."

* * *

><p>Hiroki had just had another exhausting day at work. His footsteps were weary as he stumbled down the hall of the apartment building, and his eyes were half closed. He doubted that he'd be able to get any work done tonight at home, as he was just too tired.<p>

Stumbling into his door, he drearily dug his key out of his coat pocket and stuck it into the lock. He walked into the apartment with half-closed eyes, barely looking at anything as he dropped his things and walked into the living room and flopped down onto the couch, drifting off into an exhausted sleep.

About an hour later, Hiroki was shaken out of his slumber but a quiet scuffling coming from the floor. Hiroki cracked open an eyelid and groggily looked at his watch before yawning and sitting back up. He reached over to a night table and flicked on a lamp, instantly casting light into the dark apartment.

The professor's eyes shot towards the other end of the room as he heard a quiet yip, but his lips tightened irksomely as he saw Momo sitting by the end of his wire playpen, quietly panting.

Hiroki growled under his breath and stood, padding over into the dark kitchen. He immediately spotted a pink sticky note placed on the fridge with Nowaki's handwriting.

"_Hiro-san,_

_Your dinner is in the fridge. Please try to eat all of it and get plenty of rest and fluids. I'll be home at midnight. Please feed Momo._

_Love you lots! XOXOXOXOX _

_Nowaki." _

In spite of his exhaustion, Hiroki cracked half a smile at the note and opened the fridge, quickly locating the vittles and popping them into the microwave. When they were finished reheating, he grabbed a plate from the cupboard and served himself a portion of the food. He glanced around the counter and also spotted a dish full of dry dog food that Nowaki had left. Grimacing slightly at its appearance he picked it up and walked over to the playpen. Momo gave a quiet yip as Hiroki approached, his rear swinging back and forth as his tail wagged furiously.

The professor remained impassive as he stood in front of the wiggling creature. It was so small and furry and happy it made him slightly disgusted, though he didn't know why.

Well, maybe he had some idea.

Nowaki had called Momo "cute"…and he regularly used the same word to describe his partner as well.

Was that big goof implying that a studious, accomplished professor like himself was just as bright-eyed and happy and bullshitty as this stupid dog!

The very thought made him very angry and very scared at the same time…

"Yip!"

Hiroki was broken out of this thought train wreck as the dog gave another bark, pattering around in excited circles as it saw the food dish. But in the mood he was in, Hiroki wasn't about to give the food/positive reinforcement to the stupid animal.

At least not for free.

Using his free hand, Hiroki pointed down at the dog, using the same hand signal he'd seen Nowaki do.

"Sit." He growled.

The little dog immediately responded by plopping his hind quarters down on the floor, his full puppy attention focused on Hiroki.

A little pleased that he had been able to lord over a lesser creature with no resistance, Hiroki's anger briefly subsided and he set the dish down inside the pen, watching Momo gobble it up for a few seconds before heading back over to grab his own dinner.

After the professor and the dog had eaten their food in relative silence, Hiroki had reached into his bag and taken out a pile of student essays, wanting to get at least a little bit of work done this evening. However, when it became apparent that he really did not have the patience to read complete crap at the moment, he put them aside and grabbed the TV remote.

Hiroki leaned back on the couch, watching a segment of local news with only mild interest. And when he heard light growls coming from the playpen, it didn't take much to peak his curiosity. He glanced over and studied Momo as he chewed on a rawhide bone with vigor. And deciding once again to stoke his inner god complex, Hiroki let out a low whistle.

Momo's black and white head immediately shot up and he left the bone, going over to the wire mesh and wagging his curly tail. Hiroki stood up from the couch, studying the dog with impassive eyes.

"Sit." He commanded. Momo immediately complied, his pink tongue lolling out of his mouth as he gazed at Hiroki. Having gained victory once again, Hiroki wanted to try doing a bit more. With a hesitant gaze the professor looked down at the dog, reaching a hand for the gate latch.

"Alright dog," He growled. "I'm gonna let you out, but if you so much as sniff ANYTHING, I'm gonna wack you on your little wet canine nose."

"Woof…" Momo yipped back, pattering around in a little enthusiastic circle.

Not quite believing he was actually doing this, Hiroki unlatched the gate and the puppy clicked out, pressing his nose down to smell Hiroki's socks.

"Okay, now." The brunette said, grabbing the treat bag off the coffee table. "Stay."

Hiroki took a few tentative steps back, all the while giving the dog a rather fearsome glare. The puppy put a paw forward, but stopped, sitting down on the floor and watching Hiroki intently.

The professor made it all the way down to the hall, and was amazed that the dog actually stayed put.

"Huh," He said. "Good boy…alright, come here."

The puppy yipped and raced down the hall as Hiroki knelt down to the floor, placing a treat down for Momo. The dog gobbled it up and put his paws on top of the man's knees, lifting up his mouth to try and lick Hiroki's face.

Hiroki grunted in slight astonishment that they had succeeded, and let a slight smile curl his lips.

"Well that was good for a first try dog." He said. "Now…let's see if we can teach you to stay away from books."

* * *

><p>Thanks to a sudden emergency at the hospital, Nowaki didn't manage to make it home until almost two a.m. The weary doctor trudged up to the front door of the apartment and shoved in the key, practically stumbling in and taking off his shoes. The lights were on, so Hiroki probably hadn't gone to bed yet. Even still, Nowaki crept quietly into the living room, and felt his mouth drop to the floor as he laid eyes on the couch.<p>

The distinguished doctor quickly clamped a hand over his mouth in order to contain the biggest squee of his life.

Laying on his back in a deep sleep was his unruly boyfriend, and curled up in between his arm and torso was Momo, snoozing quietly with his head perched on Hiroki's chest.

Nowaki was trying so hard not to burst that tears began to form in his eyes, and he immediately bounced over and whipped out his camera phone, snapping pictures of the adorable scene from several angles.

Once he was satisfied that the delightful scene had been embellished in photographic memory forever, Nowaki reached out a gentle hand shook Hiroki's shoulder.

"Hiro-san." He whispered. "It's time to go to bed."

Hiroki's eyes fluttered open and he let out a yawn.

"You're late." He muttered. "What time is it?"

"Almost two." Nowaki replied, trying not to smile too widely.

Hiroki groaned, starting to sit up.

"Ugh…I have class tomorrow."

"Let's go to bed then." Nowaki replied. "Here, let me take Momo."

Hiroki raised an eyebrow in confusion, but slowly registered that there was a sleeping animal next to him.

"Oh. Forgot about that." He grunted, swinging his legs over the side of the couch. Nowaki gently took the sleeping puppy into his arms and walked over to the playpen, placing Momo in his dog bed. Nowaki took in the sight with teary eyes, still not quiet recovered from the puppy and boyfriend cuteness missile.

Hiroki yawned again and stood up, padding off to the bedroom. Nowaki finally let loose his held back grin and gave the puppy a good petting.

"Good dog Momo." He whispered. "Good dog!"


	3. Chapter 3

Sorry this took so long to update, but thank you all for your reviews :)

Here you go my lovely Cerberus, hope it suits your doggy tastes :)

**Love and puppies,**

**TBF101**

* * *

><p><strong>Part III<strong>

Morning saw Hiroki and Nowaki for a bit of weekend kitchen time, and the apartment was filled with the enticing aromas of Nowaki's cooking and Hiroki's stellar ability to work the coffee maker. A good night's sleep had the two in a peaceful mood, so peaceful in fact, that Hiroki had consented to Nowaki's idea to let Momo have a little run around while they made breakfast. Hiroki reached up into the cupboard, pulling out two matching mugs (embarrassing Christmas present from Nowaki) while he kept an eye on the little snooper, who was licking at a few crumbs that Nowaki had "accidentally" dropped on the floor.

But even still, as Hiroki filled both mugs, he couldn't help but find that the stupid dog didn't quite piss him off as much today. If anything…it was almost kind of…normal.

Strike that. Said snooper was about to break the eleventh commandment that Hiroki had worked so hard to beat into its inadequate brain: Thou shalt not put thy wet nose on thy master's rare and expensive books.

"Oy!" Hiroki barked, casting the dog a rather vicious look. The puppy immediately changed course away from the stack of books, wagging its fluffy tail apologetically.

Nowaki looked up from the stove in amazement, his bright blue eyes wide.

"Hiro-san…" He murmured, a smile beginning to curve his lips.

"What?" Hiroki muttered back, raising an eyebrow. "Are you almost done with the food?"

"Oh, yes Hiro-san." Nowaki grinned, switching off the gas. He paused though when he heard a series of light growls coming from the living room, and peaked over the counter to investigate.

Since he had gotten home so late last night, Nowaki had stripped right in the living room and left his clothes in a forgotten pile near the couch. And right now, it appeared Momo had found said pile and was having a lovely time sinking his puppy teeth into Nowaki's shirt.

"Momo!" Nowaki called. "Drop it."

The dog pretended as if he hadn't heard and even began to shake the shirt back and forth with his teeth. Nowaki set down his spatula and darted around the counter to intervene, but when Momo saw him coming he darted away, dragging the shirt with him.

"Momo!" Nowaki said, heading after him. "Give that back!"

The dog let out a light bark, clearly thinking along the opposite lines as it rounded over to the table and lost Nowaki beneath the low chairs.

"Momo, bad dog!" Nowaki called, getting down onto his hands and knees. But when Nowaki started to crawl underneath the wood frame, the puppy escaped out the other side. But he didn't get far underneath another person's sight.

A shrill whistle came from Hiroki's mouth and the dog stopped short, his ears perked up in surprise.

"Momo! DROP IT!" Hiroki snarled, pointing a finger sharply to the floor. At the severity of his tone, the puppy immediately opened his mouth and let the shirt fall to the floor, lowering his head and apologizing with a few light wags.

Nowaki stood back up, his eye wide with wonder.

"Hiro-san, that was amazing."

Hiroki snorted, turning around to hide the slight blush in his cheeks.

"It was nothing. I just know how to give a good yelling. To children and animals alike…"

"But Momo obeys you so quickly Hiro-san," Nowaki said proudly. "You must be his pack leader!"

Hiroki raised an eyebrow.

"Pack leader?"

"Mhmm." Nowaki nodded. "You see, dogs think of their families, or packs, as a hierarchy. And so they usually obey the person at the top, which is you. It's a sign of respect."

Hiroki's growly wrinkles briefly smoothed at the disclosure that the stupid lesser creature respected him, and he shifted around to grab the coffee mugs.

"Oh well, its no big deal." He muttered, trying to not let the praise go to his head. He walked over and set the two full mugs on the table, then went back for plates as Nowaki began to pour bowls of soup. But the quiet sounds of clinking and shifting were interrupted by the ringing of Nowaki's cell phone. He quickly pulled it out of the pocket of his sweats and answered.

"Hello?…Oh Narumi-san, how are you doing?"

Hiroki listened quietly as Nowaki chatted briefly with the nurse, but his brow furrowed as he noticed Nowaki's eyes widen in worry. The giant nodded and bid her goodbye, then turned to Hiroki with a somewhat sheepish gaze.

"Umm…Hiro-san."

"What?"

"That was Narumi-san, Momo's owner. Apparently they've been a bit delayed and won't be able to pick him up tomorrow. Is it alright if he stays till Monday?" Nowaki asked, cautiously honing in on Hiroki's reaction. But he was pleasantly surprised as Hiroki just shrugged and muttered a "whatever," heading back towards the table with plates. Nowaki beamed in silent victory at his partner and followed him to the table for their breakfast.

* * *

><p>Hiroki's cries had simmered down to panting breaths, and Nowaki could feel their rhythm as he laid his damp cheek against Hiroki's sweaty back, closing his eyes and breathing in the raw scent of his spent lover. Their bodies were hot and drained from recent release, and neither of the men had the desire to move just yet, even though Nowaki's muscular weight was pressing the face down Hiroki firmly into the bed.<p>

His eyes still lidded, the giant pressed his lips to Hiroki's quivering side, but as a quiet clicking caught his ear, he looked up.

"…Shit…" He murmured.

"Mmm?" Hiroki grunted, half asleep himself.

"I forgot to lock Momo's gate." Nowaki replied just as the little dog nudged open their door with his nose and padded in, wagging his tail at the sight of his hosts. Hiroki cracked open an eyelid, and gave the dog a scowl as it lifted its nose towards their sweaty sheets.

"Get out dog." Hiroki growled, but the dog didn't seem to pay him any mind. Actually, his attention was focused entirely on Nowaki, who was still stretched over the smaller man.

Seeing he had the dog's attention, Nowaki pointed to the door.

"OUT." He commanded firmly.

After one more bright-eyed glance, Momo complied, clicking back out into the living room.

Nowaki rolled off Hiroki, who sat up and raised a perturbed eyebrow.

"Why the hell didn't it obey me?" He growled. "I thought I was the bloody pack leader!"

A theory immediately surfaced in Nowaki's mind, but he hesitated before voicing it.

"Well er….Hiro-san…."

"What?"

"You see…the dominant person in the pack…is uh, usually the one who…tops." He replied, giving Hiroki a petulant smile.

Hiroki's eyes darkened at the disclosure and he sat up, lifting his chin.

"Well then Kusama, it looks next time I'll just have be on the other end. After all, this pack leader is not one to be demoted."

Nowaki's blue eyes gapped at the words, and for a brief second, he almost wished that he hadn't agreed to let Momo stay two more days.

After all, Hiro-san was not one who liked to remain on the bottom.

Of the pack at least.

**The End.**


End file.
